THE NUMBERS GAME: The honeymoon period is over, so here's why Remy is a better signing than Negredo... and the rest of the top new boys this season

It’s official - the ‘time to settle’ stage is over. The honeymoon period for Premier League summer signings expired as we entered 2014. Now’s the time to assess who has changed their new sides’ fortunes, and whose transfer fee would have been better spent on bottles of bubbly in the directors’ box.

There’s been some notable flops - the £27million signing of Marouane Fellaini has done nothing but typify David Moyes’ start to life at Old Trafford - but anyone watching Alvaro Negredo in the last few weeks will have been wondering quite how Manchester City snapped him up for a relatively paltry £16million.

Top flight sides strengthened all over the pitch in the summer, and those acquisitions could be joined by even newer recruits this month. Here, the best new signings in the Premier League for each position are revealed, and what they’ve done to put their personal stamp on the side.

Flop: Unsurprisingly Manchester United midfielder Marouane Fellaini doesn't feature in our list of the best Premier League summer signings after a difficult start to life at Old Trafford

Goalkeepers

Replacing Pepe Reina in Liverpool fans’ hearts was never going to be easy. After eight years between the Anfield sticks, the jovial Spaniard had certainly built up a special rapport with the Kop.

Once his star was on the wane and he made flirtations with Barcelona, however, Reds boss Brendan Rodgers had no hesitation in packing him off for a reunion with Rafael Benitez at Napoli.

NEW GOALKEEPERS 2013-14

The man to have filled his considerable gloves was Simon Mignolet. And despite a couple of high-profile mistakes, the Belgian has done an admirable job as Liverpool continue to surprise everyone by maintaining a place in the Champions League spots.

His 65 saves and 15 catches have gone a long way to preserving the Reds’ impressive position.

Bargain: Simon Mignolet, pictured here saving a penalty against Stoke on the opening day of the season, has proved a shrewd investment for Liverpool

In fact, at times he has kept them in games - Mignolet's company in a high number of saves are almost exclusively sides at the bottom of the league, not saying much for Liverpool's central defenders.

While Sunderland were obviously upset to see their star man go, his replacement - Vito Mannone - has carved himself a place in the Premier League after failing to make the grade at the Emirates.

Mannone has emerged with credit after filling in for fellow new signing Kieran Westwood - laid out with a shoulder injury.

Safe hands: Vito Mannone has impressed for Sunderland in recent weeks after joining from Arsenal last summer

Being custodian for a side bottom of the league is never easy, but Mannone’s 42 saves and 22 catches paint him in a positive light - and remember - he didn’t make a Premier League appearance until November 2.

Defenders

Any number of sides needed defensive strengthening in the summer, with most of the Premier League’s lesser lights needing an extra shield in a bid to avoid the drop.

The statistics on new defenders in the league uncover an unsung hero. Left-back Erik Pieters signed for Stoke for £3million from PSV in the summer, and leads the top flights' new boys in tackling.

Instant impact: Stoke City left-back Erik Pieters (right) has won more tackles than any other newly signed defender this season

His 64 successful dispossessions is testament to his solidity at the back. He also ranks highly among new signings for duels won - but it's one of Steve Bruce's captures that takes this accolade.

Duels won is a combined statistic for 50/50 balls won on the ground and in the air, and Hull's Curtis Davies is ahead of the pack with 144 - nine ahead of Peters.

In control: Curtis Davies (left) has excelled in the heart of Hull's defence after joining from Championship side Birmingham City

It's no surprise that the statistically the most impressive new signings come from the league's lesser lights. The very top teams didn't make first-choice defensive signings, and opposition sides get far less opportunity to attack against teams like Chelsea and Manchester City - reducing statistics like duels, tackles and clearances.

It makes defenders high on this list even more praise-worthy. Players like Davies, Peters and Manyor Figueroa - another shrewd Bruce signing - are constantly tested, and have more often than not come up trumps.

Central midfielders

Manchester City were missing a vital component last season in their limp title defence.With the marauding Yaya Toure, Roberto Mancini's team had little other bite in midfield - a chasm where Nigel de Jong once took no prisoners.

In Fernandinho, they've found the perfect solution - and then some. A much more elegant player than De Jong, he's also proven he can mix it with the Premier League's toughest tacklers.

All-rounder: Manchester City midfielder Fernandinho has contributed at both ends of the pitch for Manuel Pellegrini's side since his £30million move from Shakhtar Donetsk

The Brazilian leads the league's new boys in every category, putting in the highest amount of successful challenges, crucial interceptions and complete passes.

A real all-round midfielder, he provides the perfect foil for the fearsome Toure. Most of the plaudits have gone to Manuel Pellegrini's lethal attack, but Fernandinho has revolutionised the midfield just as crucially.

At the other end of the league, Cardiff's Chilean hardman Gary Medel has been a rock-solid presence at a club that has been anything other than a rock-solid environment.

Incredibly, 'Pitbull' Medel is only a few behind the feted Fernandinho in each chosen category. He's made a fair few less tackles, but the difference in his passing and interceptions is negligible.

This may come as fairly surprising as he is thought of as mainly a 'destroyer'. His statistics on two more forward-thinking midfield attributes, however, suggest otherwise.

As for the rest of the top five signings, Gareth Barry shows he deserves his plaudits since his loan move to Everton, Scott Parker's figures are none-too-shabby in Fulham's midfield Steve Bruce once again comes up trumps with the capture of Tom Huddlestone.

Attacking midfielders

They'd waited so long for a big signing, and it finally came.

Mesut Ozil arrived at Arsenal for a club-record £42million, and although his performances of late have been slightly less spectacular, he's still comfortably the most effective creative presence to have joined a Premier League side.

As well as four goals, he has made by far the most successful passes in the opposition half and created twenty more chances than his nearest challenger - Swansea's Jonjo Shelvey.

Big talent: Arsenal's Mesut Ozil (left) is by far the most creative player to have joined England's top tier last summer, making 45 chances for his team-mates so far

The impact of the former Real Madrid man has been such that even when he isn't on dazzling form he still is a incredibly threatening creative presence.

Shelvey's numbers are impressive, too. The England U21 playmaker has always been an adept passer of the ball and a strong creative influence. His number of successful opposition half passes is testament to that.

At City, meanwhile, Jesus Navas took time to find his feet, but his 30 created chances are second to only Ozil out of the top flight's arrivals.

A 'Beast' in every sense of the word, the Spaniard does destruction and artistry in equal measure - and was simply breathtaking to watch in netting a hat-trick against West Ham.

However, he isn't the most effective summer signing up top - that title must go to Loic Remy. Although no-one would deny the Frenchman's class for Newcastle, few would put him on par with Negredo.

Remy benefits from being the sole focal point of Newcastle's attack - most chances go through him. Negredo, meanwhile, is working in tandem with a striking partner - usually the irrepressible Sergio Aguero - and all manner of playmaking talent behind him.